Sunday was a little grey and the perfect day to visit the Aquarium, set beneath the iconic Port Philip Bay.

On the way in we bought the children a $7 Ranger Mission pack each, which turned out to be a great purchase. The packs were filled with activities to complete whilst walking round the aquarium. They encouraged them to learn even more about the underwater creatures we were seeing. They absolutely loved using them, and they earned themselves a cool sticker and a bumper stash of cards.

The Aquarium is set on three levels, with 12 themed zones, including Penguin Playground, a 4D Cinema and Bay of Rays. A particular favourite of ours was Seahorse Pier (OMG amazing); and being allowed to get your hands wet in the Rockpools filled with starfish was a real treat.

The children were amazed walking through the famous tunnels as enormous stingray glided above their heads, and sharks made a beeline for us. What an experience.

If you plan your trip to the Sealife Aquarium properly, you can experience some wonderful keeper talks, and even watch the penguin feeding. We caught an interesting talk on sea creatures and their defence mechanisms. Justin had the children (and parents) gripped as he showed clips of octopus camouflaging themselves, and puffer fish defending themselves from predators. He asked the kids to interact with him, to ask him questions and to see if they knew which creature used what defence. It really was superb!

So, a wonderful day out with lots of fun & learning, all topped off with a 4D movie and an enchanting half hour watching the majestic penguins.

It’s great to be able to visit such an incredible place and to see the hard work being put into breeding programmes, rescue missions and the preservation of all kinds of habitats.

We loved our family time at the aquarium, sharing the wonder of the oceans with the children. We talked about the diversity of what is lurking below the surface, the awesome creatures, the incredible world below the waves; and also made them very aware of just how frighteningly fragile it all is! Such a great day out for all ages.

We will definitely be back again soon, to have some more fun…

All the information

Opening Hours: 9:30am – 6:00pm (last entry 5:00pm)

Location: SEA LIFE Melbourne is located on the corner of Flinders Street and King Street, Melbourne. It is situated on the Yarra River, opposite Crown Entertainment Complex.